Interview Episode 2: Time

[Steve Wallis <stevew%mushroom.computer-science.manchester.ac.uk@NSFNET-RELAY.AC.UK>]

Kate Bush was interviewed by Roger Scott on Radio One on Saturday 14th
October.  Here is a transcription of the second part of the interview I
heard.  KT talks about the length of time she takes to make an album and
explains _The_Fog_.

				Steve.

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RS: Are you concious of time going by as you're making these records, because
the gap between records seems to get a year longer every time?  If we go
right back to your first and second albums there seems to be an extra year go
in there every time.  Are you concious of it, or do you just put that out
of your mind?

KT: <laughs> Yes, I am very concious of it.  I think it would be totally
impossible for me not to be aware of it, because, you know, it just gets
worse and worse as time goes on.  My God, I'm never going to finish this!
And I think my tapes wouldn't know what to do if they didn't have to sit
there fermenting - it's getting like wine now, where I just leave the tapes
as I go off and do something else, and the music kind of ferments by itself,
you know. <laughs>  It's terrifying, I'd love to be able to make an album in
eight weeks, I'm so envious of people who can make an album that quickly, but
I know I wouldn't and if I did, I just don't think I'd be happy with it
unless I drastically changed and then I might be able to.  But this is me, it
just takes me a tremendous amount of agony, I mean, the agony I go through -
it's pathetic, you know, it's just a record, it just ten songs on a record...

RS: This song, _The_Fog_ on here, featuring your father as himself...

KT: <laughs> ...My first feature film. <laughs>

RS: A family affair, this album.  Tell me about that song.  I haven't quite
go the hang of it, it's something to do with childhood, it's something to do
with childhood memories and growing up and having to stand on your own two
feet.  I think so anyway, but can you tell me what you were thinking?

KT: Yes, well that's jolly good.

RS: Totally wrong, but...

KT: No, it's not.  Again, it's quite a complex song, where it's very watery.
It's meant to be the idea of a big expanse of water, and being in a
relationship now and flashing back to being a child being taught how to swim,
and using these two situations as the idea of learning to let go.  When I was
a child, my father used to take me out into the water, and he'd hold me by my
hands and then let go and say "OK, now come on, you swim to me."  As he'd say
this, he'd be walking backwards so the gap would be getting bigger and
bigger, and then I'd go <splutters>.  I thought that was such an interesting
situation where you're scared because you think you're going to drown, but
you know you won't because your father won't let you drown, and the same for
him, he's kind of letting go, he's letting the child be alone in this
situation.  Everyone's learning and hopefully growing and the idea that the
relationship is to be in this again, back there swimming and being taught to
swim, but not by your father but by your partner, and the idea that it's OK
because you are grown up now so you don't have to be frightened, because all
you have to do is put your feet down and the bottom's there, the water isn't
so deep that you'll drown.  You put your feet down, you can stand up and it's
only waist height.  Look!  What's the problem, what are you worried about?

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   \       / /\ // / \      // /         |       Steve Wallis       |
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     \    \/ //\\/ /   \  / \/ /         |  stevew@uk.ac.man.cs.r5  |
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